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Thursday, September 11, 2008

An important part of any guide dog's training is learning how to negotiate stairs properly. When we come to stairs leading down, Dakota is supposed to indicate the step by sitting with his front paws on the edge. He's already starting to get this idea.

Next, we go down the stairs in a more or less smooth, steady manner. I say "more or less" because, as those of you who've had a puppy know, "smooth," "steady," and "puppy" aren't really words that go together! All those paws and steps kind of just get tangled up somehow. Never mind, we manage to make it down, and now it's time to go up again!

Dakota will eventually learn to indicate a step up by standing with his front paws resting on the first step. Right now, I'm just trying to get him to slow down a bit. His first inclination at "up" stairs is to attack them all at once and get it over with, bolting up two or three at a time! It's great to have an eager learner though, and I can already see a lot of improvement.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Hi all -- Dakota here! I had so much fun over Labor Day weekend. I got to have a friend over for the weekend -- Frankie, one of our older guide dogs in training. I think he is SO COOL. He taught me lots of stuff:

Good manners pay off. I was amazed at how much treats & praise this guy got! But he showed me it was just because he knew how to sit instead of jump up; be quiet instead of bark; and play nicely with others. Wow, who knew? He would look at me as if to say, "Watch and learn..." and you better believe I did!

Good friends share everything. EXCEPT their food. Some things in a dog's life are just too important!

About Me

Beth Lord and her family are volunteer puppy raisers with the Guide Dogs of Texas. Dakota is their second guide dog puppy and first labradoodle. Willie, a yellow lab, graduated to advanced training in summer of '08 and is now a working guide in Austin, TX.